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Old 08-04-07, 10:14 AM   #10
Tom
Gunner
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Finland
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I just visited the same convoy. Weather was lousy, I could only see ships from a range of 600-700 meters, and hydrophones were pretty useless because the ships were stationary.

Managed to sink one light cruiser and one troop transport.

I almost got killed when making my leave. I was running on the surface, thinking I left the enemies behind, when I almost ran into a destroyer. Spotted it at 400 meters, and before I could do anything it opened fire. The shell hit on the starboard side, just in front of the tower, taking out my forward batteries and hydrophone, and causing flooding in the radio room and bow quarters.

With 10 meters of water beneath beneath me, I dove to periscope depth, ahead flank, and started repairing damage, hoping to outmaneuver the destroyer. When it turned around for it's depth charge run, I had the flooding under control, turned sharply and switched to silent running. The depth charges missed my stern by maybe 20 meters.

Luckily for me, the destroyer, which was behind me, made its next turn away from me. Just before it was at its furthest I blew ballast, ordered ahead flank and 15 degrees rudder, hoping to lose it in the dense fog and heavy rain. It worked. The destroyer spotted me once, but it was at 180 with a 90 degree AOB, and before it could turn around to chase me it lost me again, this time for good.

Back at Kiel, the folks were pretty happy with my contribution to operation Weserübung:

9 Apr 1940: Zerstörer C&D - Klassen, 1375 tons
11 Apr 1940: Schlachtschiff Nelson, 36000 tons
22 Apr 1940: Mittelgroßer Frachter, 6403 tons
23 Apr 1940: Leichter Kreuzer Fiji - Klasse, 10725 tons
23 Apr 1940: Truppentransporter, 9273 tons

- Günther Pflock, recently promoted Kapitänleutnant, U-99
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